35 people poisoned hospitalised, dairy farms investigated. Meanwhile, police warn that Lianhai Zhao of return to prison, even he persists in defending human rights and dissidents. When he was in prison, he was forced to drink milk with melamine, the kind that poisoned children. A human rights lawyer detained.

Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Three children have died and 35 children were intoxicated after drinking milk containing nitrite in Pingliang in Gansu. Meanwhile, activist Zhao Lianhai sentenced to jail for defending the rights of sick children during the toxic milk scandal, says the police haave "warned" him he will return to prison if he continues to defend human rights.

The 35 addicts, for most children under 14 are hospitalized. The state news agency Xinhua reports today that the milk was produced by two local dairy farms. They have since been closed and are under investigation.

Sodium nitrite is used in the preparation of meat, such as sausages, because it destroys bacteria. But it is very toxic to humans, the lethal dose is about 22 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.

For years, China is the focus of repeated food scandals, such as milk powder for children with added melamine, a toxic substance, which in 2008 caused at least six deaths and serious kidney disease in about 300 thousand infants. Last week,  Offices for hygiene control ordered the closure of around 45% of dairy farms in the country (AsiaNews of 04/04/2011, About 45 per cent of Chinese dairies shut down following melamine scandals).

Meanwhile, police yesterday convoked Zhao Lianhai, who defended the rights of sick children during the milk scandal, after his son became ill who is now 5 years old (pictured with Zhao). This is why Zhao was sentenced to 2 ½ years in prison for "incitement to social disorder." He was released last December, for medical reasons. On April 6 on his Twitter site he defended the famous artist Ai Weiwei, arrested in recent days. Yesterday, the police summoned him and warned he will return to prison if he continues to defend the other activists.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Zhao spoke about his detention for the first time and said that since he had staged a hunger strike to protest his detention in Daxing District, he was forced to eat the same milk powder that was found to contain melamine. He said that he was released on the condition he does nothing to "undermine social stability" and that he does not speak with the media.

Meanwhile, Beijing continues its crackdown on dissidents. On April 6, the lawyer known Ni Yulan and her husband Dong Jiqin were arrested, taken by force by the police from the hotel where they were staying. Ni, already arrested in 2002, has long been fighting against the illegal expropriation of land, favored by local governments.

• China
• tainted
• milk
• children
• ill
• human
• rights
• activist
• detention